


Hesitation

by thephantomshipper



Category: Fallout (Video Games), Fallout 3, Fallout: New Vegas
Genre: Caesar's Legion, Canon-Typical Violence, F/F, Near Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-16
Updated: 2019-09-16
Packaged: 2020-10-20 04:31:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,468
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20669378
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thephantomshipper/pseuds/thephantomshipper
Summary: "I hesitated, I’ve never hesitated before ‘cause I’ve always had nothing to lose. Now the thought that I can end up losing you is just so... so terrifying. I don’t know if I can do this.Maddie and Reilly end up in an ambush, Reilly hesitates.Set in the Wanderer universe





	Hesitation

Reilly looked out over the town in a panic, the Colorado river in front of her and Caesar's legion behind her stalking them through the ruins of what used to be Flagstaff, Arizona. The bombs hadn't leveled the town but time and fallout had. Madison was nowhere to be seen but Reilly could make out the faint sounds of her 10mm popping off in the distance.

She couldn't catch her breath, everything had happened so fast, one minute they were on course for Vegas, next thing Caesar's legionaries had surrounded them as they were making their way through Northern Arizona University's campus scavenging for food. 

Reilly lost Madison somewhere in the firefight as she thrust her assault rifle aimlessly and attempted to mow down the legionaries surrounding them. Knowing Madison, she would have made the move to flank them even though there were too many for the two women to take on separately. 

With hindsight Reilly knew they had taken the wrong course of action and she had decided to seek shelter in the University buildings. The tight corridors could provide an advantage in a firefight with her lithe frame. 

She remembered talking tactics with Butcher back in D.C after they found a book on historical battles, the battle of Stirling Bridge lodged firmly in her mind, where a tired and small Scottish army defeated and held back a much larger invading English army by using the narrow bridge to thin their numbers. That was exactly what Reilly was planning to do. 

She raced to the second floor and barricaded the top of the stairs with desks from the surrounding classrooms, she made her own cover at the end of the corridor with another desk and shot the handles of the doors before retreating to the classroom to her right hand side.

Reilly jimmied open the centuries old window and desperately looked for Maddie. She caught sight of her, cowering behind an old NAU bus. Reilly quickly brought up her pip-boy and jammed the button for the two way comms link installed. "Maddie, babe, are you okay?" Reilly's voice came through as a choked sob and Madison steadied her own voice before replying. 

"Reilly? Thank god you're alive! I'm surviving, where are you?" Madison heard footsteps moving somewhere behind the old bus, she turned the volume of her pip-boy down and crouched almost prone. "I'm in the top floor of the school building to your right, do you see it?" Madison whipped her head up to face the building and quickly spotted the open window, she raised her hand in acknowledgement. 

"Okay Maddie, there's 4 Legionaries behind that bus. Three grouped close together about seventeen feet away, there's another maybe six feet away from the group to their left. Throw a frag and run to the building." Reilly snapped her scope on her assault rifle," I'll cover you from here."

Reilly trained her sights on Madison as Maddie flashed her the thumbs up and tossed a frag, looping over the bus and dropping at the feet of the Legionaries. Maddie ran as the grenade detonated. Reilly whipped the rifle to the blast zone and noted two survivors. One of them had their repeater raised with Maddie firmly in his sights. 

Madison ran for her life, Reilly let her breath go. One shot rang out. 

The legionary fell, a hole in his skull where Reilly's 5.56 round punched through the bone scrambling the brains underneath. She zeroed in on the other legionary and with a snipers accuracy she quickly put him down in a similar fashion. 

By the time Reilly looked up Madison had made it to the building. Reilly quickly removed her scope and raced through the room to the corridor. In her frantic concern for Madison's safety she had forgotten about the legionaries chasing her and she had barely made it into cover as they burst through the barricade. 

Reilly peppered the first with her automatic fire, turning him into a fine red mist and the second she downed with a head shot. When the third came into view, she paused, finger on the trigger as he appeared holding a knife to Madison's throat. 

The fear coursing through Maddie's veins apparent in her eyes as a solitary tear threatened to spill down her porcelain cheek. 

Reilly gulped, unsure what to do. She didn't have the shot. No other legionaries followed Maddie's captor so Reilly reassessed the situation and held her hand up, still very much pointing the gun at the villain. 

"Let her go and you live." Reilly stated deadpan as Madison shook, tremors racking her body as she firmly fought her fear. 

The man laughed, a slow, booming laugh. "Caesar demands you return as slaves to the Legion." Reilly for once was stuck, tactically out maneuvered. Madison had never been caught and captured other than by the Enclave and they had traversed the entire country, they had come up against worse. 

Madison choked back a sob and broke through her fear," I don't care if you hit me fucking shoot him!" Reilly grasped the rifle lining up the shot and the legionary dug the tip of the knife into Madison's neck, a trickle of blood running down to stain the top of her fatigues. 

"Reilly! Please!" Madison begged. She felt the cool metal of the blade slash her neck as she felt the air ripple with the boom of the gunshot. It was too late, they both fell to the Floor. Reilly screamed. Madison clutched at her neck as she thrashed, desperately trying to stem the bleeding. Reilly raced to her side, stimpak in hand. She jammed it into Madison's neck pushing the plunger and emptying the contents. 

After a few seconds Madison gasped and choked on the air, the flesh regenerating at a rapid rate, enough to let her breathe. Reilly let out her breath and sagged to her haunches with relief. She held her hand as Maddie slipped from consciousness. 

Madison awoke on her bed roll, it took a few moments to adjust to her surroundings. Reilly must have carried her to the only open classroom and set her out comfortably. She moved her hand to her neck and traced the scar. She felt the thread of stitches and realised with a heavy heart Reilly must have worked tirelessly to fix her after she passed out. 

She groggily shifted to her elbows and scanned the room looking for Reilly. She was slumped on a chair barring the door. Madison cleared her throat and got to her feet, Reilly stirred, her searching eyes finding Madison's. She began to sob. 

Madison rushed to Reilly and managed to croak out a few words. "Don't cry I'm here! I'm still alive!" It didn't matter what Maddie said or what she did, Reilly was inconsolable. "I nearly killed you." Reilly choked between sobs, "I hesitated, I’ve never hesitated before ‘cause I’ve always had nothing to lose. Now the thought that I can end up losing you is just so... so terrifying. I don’t know if I can do this.” 

Madison grabbed Reilly and held her close, settling her head on her chest so she could hear her heartbeat, "Babe it's okay, it's all okay." it took a while but Reilly eventually calmed, "I thought if I shot him, I'd hit you. I panicked and froze rather than thinking of a solution and he slit your throat. My world almost ended because I hesitated." 

Madison just sat, absorbing Reilly's words and the weight that they carried. "I know we won't always be safe." Reilly continued, "The wasteland is cruel and I know it, I've seen it. I watched my dad die, I watched my Rangers die. I nearly watched you die. I don't know how long we can wander and we're miles from home." Reilly brought her eyes to Madison's, "Please tell me we will settle down one day, I don't know how much longer we can wander, I don't know how much longer I can watch you almost die over and over again."

Madison sighed holding Reilly's gaze, "I promise you Reilly, we'll find a home." That was enough for Reilly as she wrapped her arms around Maddie's neck and nuzzled in. "Anywhere so long as we're together." 

Madison captured Reilly's lips with her own and they sat for a while sharing gentle caresses, silently reassuring each other of their future through their soft touches. Maddie gently broke away and rested her forehead on Reilly's," Wanna get outta here? Vegas is only four days away." Reilly smiled a shy smile, "We better get a move on then."

The two women gathered their possessions and shouldered their packs, today was a new day and a fresh start. Maybe New Vegas would be the home they were searching for.

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by a tumblr prompt to keep me fresh whilst I work through my writers block.  
I swear I will get round to chapter 9 of the Wanderer  
Hope you enjoyed this!  
Find me on tumblr: thephantomshipper


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